The pallet has gained wide acceptance for the transportation and storage of goods, due in large measure to the European standardization of the four-way flat pallet. Its advantages lie in its suitability for use as a replacement pallet and customary means of conveyance, as well as its underlying structural simplicity.
Pallets made of wood have the disadvantage that upon use in operations in which they are exposed to a high degree of moisture, for instance in breweries, they have only a very short life and must in some cases be replaced after having been used only twice. Pallets of sheet metal have therefore been produced. Aside from the fact that they do not comply with European standards, such pallets have the disadvantage that their strength is insufficient to withstand rough operations or excessive weight. This is true, for instance, of the pallets described in European Patent 0015576 and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,306,752. The pallet produced in accordance with European patent 0015576 consists of sheet metal which has been bent in the manner of undulations. It is produced from only one sheet metal blank, the ends of which are bent off to form box-like hollow bodies. The hollow bodies thus also form the side walls of the pallet. Such pallets on the one hand do not comply with the standards set forth by the EEC and on the other hand they do not meet the strength requirements necessary for certain uses unless the thickness of the sheet metal of which they are constructed is increased to the point that they weigh too much.
In addition, there has been proposed a sheet metal pallet which consists of undulated metal strips of the same wave cross-section in connection with which the outer terminal regions of the side walls are bent to form triangular hollow sections and are firmly connected at their ends to the side walls. These pallets meet the strength requirements but they have the disadvantage that a large number of welded connections are required, which in its turn greatly impairs the corrosion protection of the galvanized sheet metal which is customarily used. There remains a need for a pallet that is constructed of sheet metal that is not excessively heavy, is sufficiently strong, and that meets European specifications.